First up, most of the quick day to day things your character will be doing at game do not require a test. Driving down to the store, walking around the block, talking with the other characters, and quoting a little Shakespeare, for example.

Generally when you need to invoke the rules you will be in a contest against another player, attempting difficult actions or actions is a difficult situation, or invoking supernatural powers/specific rules.

When invoking supernatural powers or specific rules(opening hedge gates, for example) the appropriate rules in the book can be referenced. The spiral bound booklet at game-site has every Contract in the changeling line.

For other challenges one first negotiates the outcome. Often this will be fairly simple. "If I win the test my character wins the jumping contest, if yours wins then they win the jumping contest." If all parties can agree to an outcome the test can end here.

Next appropriate test pools are derived. Each party chooses an appropriate Attribute and Skill. Add them together.

Apply Bonuses and Penalties from equipment, the environment, general difficulty of action, and other sources. Most pistols give +2, for example. If the target of your action is another character you often must apply their Defense or one of their Resistance Attributes as a penalty to your pool.

Finally cards are drawn. You and another player draw one card(1 thru 10) each. These cards are added. If the result is more then 10 then subtract 10. 10-again - If the result is 10 then the player gets 10 and draws again adding the new result to the 10 already gained.1-again - Same as 10-again but the player gets -5 and draws again.Add the total from the card draw to your test pool.-1 or less = dramatic failure9 = 1 success12 = 2 successes15 = 3 successesmore = ( ( draw + test pool ) / 5 ) successes5 successes = exceptional success

Chance die - If your pool after applying bonuses and penalties is 0 or less then 1-again is changed to -10, draw again, and successes are changed to ( ( draw + test pool ) / 10 ) successes.